Second Annual New Mexico Governor’s STEM Challenge

NMDWS News:

ALBUQUERQUE — High school students from 33 schools will be competing for $5,000 in prize money from 18 employers in the 2nd Annual New Mexico Governor’s STEM Challenge.

Hosted and organized by New Mexico State University (NMSU), Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation, New Mexico Public Education Department (PED), and New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (NMDWS), this event will be entirely virtual Saturday, Dec. 12.  

Ten-person student teams have submitted solutions to the NMSU formulated question, “How can you combine New Mexico’s natural resources with technology to address regional/global needs?”

Employer partners have provided judges to rate the solutions based on quality, creativity, presentation, and how they match up with skills that employers need for future hires in their own industries. Selected teams will receive $500 per student in cash.

Employer partners from around the state include:

  • Los Alamos National Laboratory;
  • N3B Los Alamos;
  • Air Force Research Laboratory;
  • Boeing;
  • Chevron;
  • Deloitte;
  • El Paso Electric;
  • Facebook;
  • Freeport-McMoran;
  • Intel;
  • Lovelace Health;
  • Molina; 
  • Pattern Energy;
  • PNM;
  • Presbyterian Health Services;
  • Sandia National Laboratories;
  • URENCO Eunice; and
  • Virgin Galactic. 

“Gov. Lujan Grisham cares deeply and passionately that New Mexican students can compete and thrive in a 21st century economy,” NMDWS Cabinet Secretary Bill McCamley said. “The amazing contributions from statewide public and private sector partners shows the widespread agreement with the Governor and we are excited to complete the second year of this program even in these challenging times.”

NMSU President John Floros said, “I want to thank each of our student participants as well as their mentors who helped them through this process. Because of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, and the Governor’s STEM Challenge, these students have studied important issues facing our state and developed a number of innovative potential solutions. When students are able to expand their understanding of STEM disciplines and emerging technologies, and we help them to think more quickly and innovatively, we all benefit.”

PED Deputy Secretary Dr. Gwen Perea Warniment said, “It is our deep honor at the PED to recognize the resiliency, creativity, and collaboration of students during this time of remote instruction. We are incredibly proud of New Mexican youth who are clearly demonstrating with the STEM Challenge they are the leaders that will take the state and nation into the next century.” 

List of schools and brief descriptions of their proposals:

For specific information about the challenge including important dates visit: https://webnew.ped.state.nm.us/bureaus/math-science/governors-stem-showcase/.

NMSU’s page for the event can be seen here: https://nmsu.edu/community/STEM-challenge.html.

LOS ALAMOS

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